Car-brake



(No Model.)

0. W. MURRAY.

OAR BRAKE. No. 395,662. Patented Jan. 1, 1889.

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Nirs STATES PATENT Ormcn.

CHARLES XVILLIAM MURRAY, OF \VESTBOROUGH, MISSOURI.

CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 395,662, dated January1, 18819.

Application filed September '7, 1888. Serial No. 284,849. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Belt known that 1, CHARLES WILLIAM MUR- RAY, of \Vestborough, in thecounty of Atchison and State of Missouri, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in (larlwrakes; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in car-brakes.

ll'eretolfore in the construction of car-brakes mechanism has beenemployed by which the brakes can be operated from the top of a car by aperson standing away from the edge thereof, so that if any part of thedevice should break the operator would not be liable to fall between thecars. In this construction of apjiaratus a bellmrank lever has beenpivoted to the frame-work of the car and connected at one end bysuitable devices to the brake rods, while the other end of this leverwas attached to a rod extending upwardly to the top of the car. Thislatter-named rod was pivoted to the end of alever mounted in astandardon the top of the car, which. lever was adapted to be held at anydesired adjustment by the engagement of a pin with a pivoted rackbar.

\Vith such tbnstruction the device is rendered impracticable anddisadvantageous by the number of pivotal connections and the limitedplay of the llGll-Cl'lllk lever.

It is the object of my present invention to so construct a ear-brakethat it can be operated from the top of the car without danger of injuryto the operator by l'allin between the cars. v

A further object is to provide operating mechanism for a car-brake whichshall be of simple construction, ell eclive in operation, and employ butfew pivotal connections.

\Vith these objects in view my invention consists in the novelconstruction and peculiar combination and arrangement of parts, as willbe hereinafter set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of acar with my improvei brake applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a detached viewot'the roller-supportingbracket A indicates a railroad-car of the usualconstruction, having trucks B and brake-shoes C, the latter beingsuspended by rods a, as shown. Each wheel will preferably be providedwith a brake-shoe, and the corresponding shoes at the opposite sides ofthe car are connected by brake-beams Z) I).

A suitable bracket, I), is fixed to the truck B at or near its center,beneath the car, and adapted to support a lever, E, which is pivoted ator near the center inthis bracket. A rod, F, is pivoted at one end tothe upper extremity of the lever E, and at the other end to thebrake-beam I), and the lower end of the lever E is pivotally connectedby means of a rod, G, with the other brake-beam, b. It will of course beunderstood thatsuch an arrange ment will be provided for each set ofwheels of the car.

In order to operate the brake-shoes of each set of wheelssimultaneously, I provide a rod, H, which "extends from one set of.wheels to the other, and is pivotal ly connected, preferably, to theupper end of the lever E of each set of wheels, although it isobviousthat this rod may be connected with the levers E at their lower end, ifdesired.

Secu red to the car, inreferably immediately in rear of the draw-head c,is a bracket, 1, Fig. 2. This bracket I consists of two plates, 0 (I,having inwardly-projecting studs or pins, which serve as bearings for aroller, J, of metal or other suitaliile material. The plates 0 d of thebracket I are comiected at their top by a curved guiderod, f, which maybe cast integral with the plates d, or atlixed thereto, as desired.

A short standard, K, is secured to the top of the car at one end,preferably in a line with its longitudinal axis. The upper end of thisstandard K is adapted to receive and form a bearing for a lever, L,which is so pivoted in the standard that its outer extremity willproject slightly beyond the end of the car. The outer end of the lever Lis preferably made hook shaped to receive a loop or eye made in IOOneeted to the end of a rod, II.

wire or other suitable material may be used.

Fixed upon the top of the car in rear of the standard K, and braced by arod, 0, is an upright, 0, provided with ratchet-teeth, with which thelever L is adapted to engage and be retained thereby in any desiredposition. The rear end of the lever is extended somewhat and provided atits free end with a han dle with which to operate it.

Fixed upon the upright 0, near its upper end and above theratchet-teeth, is a hook or support, I, into which lever l) is adaptedto rest when the brake is not in operation, and

thus prevent the lever from engaging the ratchet-teeth at the wrongtime.

W'ith a brake constructed and :n'ranged as abot'e described a greatamount of powermay be applied to the shoes, and as but few pivotalconnections are employed in the operating mechanism the device isrendered very secure against breaking of pivot-pins.

Having fully described my in vention,\\'hat I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a cairbrake, the eombinznion, with brake beams and shoes, a pulleyattached to 7 It is evident that in lieu of the chain N a rope made ofthe car at the lower edge of one end thereof, and brake-operatingmechanism connecting the beams, of a chain connected to thebrakeoperating mechanism and passing under the pulley, a rod connectedto the chain, a lever pivoted at a point between its ends to the car andprovided with a hook at one end to engage a loop in one end of the rod,and a rockbar seeured to the top of the car-body in a position to engagethe lever at a point behind the fulcrum of said lever, substantially asset forth.

In aear-brake, the combination, with brake shoes and beams andbrake-operating device, of the lever pivoted at a point between its endsand provided with a hook at one end and a handle at its opposite end,and the rackbar having a hook or rest to support the handle end of thelever in an elevated position, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

(/II'ARLES WILLIAM MURRAY.

\Vitnessos:

A. A. SEU'REY, .15. W. HURST.

